Five predictions for NBA draft night

A mix of Celtics and NBA-focused predictions ahead of the draft on Thursday night:

1. A shakeup at the top of the draft: A number of different teams have different objectives in the lottery. Some are looking to dump salary (Memphis). Others are trying to jump-start rebuilds with more assets (Atlanta, Chicago). With the lack of a clear consensus among the second tier of prospects after DeAndre Ayton, there should be teams that believe they can get the guy they want while also moving down a few spots. The Celtics worked this masterfully in last year’s draft with the Sixers and I’d expect at least lottery pick to be dealt in a similar fashion on Thursday night.

2. The Celtics buy a second-round pick:

They have the money to buy one (up to $5 million in cash) and there is a slot to fill on the two-way contract for next year (Kadeem Allen is already signed). With Jabari Bird looking like a candidate to make the 15-man roster, the C’s could use a pick at the back half of the draft to bring aboard some cheap depth to the end of the roster.

3. The Celtics add shooting at No. 27: While next year’s projected starting lineup remains flush with 3-point shooting ability at nearly every position on the floor, the second unit still has question marks on that front. Marcus Smart is generally a net negative in this facet of the game. Terry Rozier and Marcus Morris may or may not be on the roster. Daniel Theis and Aron Baynes are streaky shooters with inconsistent strokes despite Baynes' strong postseason run. Brad Stevens could use some more scoring options off the pine and this draft should be full of them at the end of the first round.

4. The Celtics only make a minor trade: Danny Ainge always does his due diligence on moving up every draft night but the price is going to be mighty expensive to get in the top tier of this draft. The option of running it back with this group holds plenty of appeal for this front office and also has the added benefit of letting the Celtics evaluate how the core pieces of this group fit together while they are at full strength. A major move now into the lottery will deplete Boston’s resources and place a lot of eggs in the basket of a young prospect panning out. Ainge’s track record shows he likes to gamble on more proven commodities for championship cores, so it would bit of an upset if he takes this route. My guess is something more minor occurs, whether it is a deal of a rotation player to move up a few spots or simply buying a second round pick.

5. One star player gets dealt across the league: These are the moves that seemingly drop out of nowhere every couple of years on draft night. There are a number of franchises that are stuck on a road to nowhere right now with too much salary (Portland, Denver, Charlotte) tied up in cores that aren’t going to contend anytime soon. Likewise, some teams might be hungry to jumpstart their franchises from the abyss of countless rebuilding seasons (Phoenix, Orlando, Dallas) with an appealing name. With limited salary cap flexibility in play for a lot of these teams during free agency, draft night will be the time to make a big splash.